Joachim johannsen



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OACHIM J OHANNSEN, OF LUBECK, GERMANY.

STEERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 57 8,879, dated March 16, 1897.

Application filed August 1 1896.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OAOHIM J O'HANNSEN, a subject of the German Emperor, and a resident of Liibeck, in the Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in steering apparatus in which transverse steering-propellers are used to assist the action of the ordinary steering device in order to increase the steerage of a ship; and it more particularly consists in certain novel features and modification of the construction and arrangement shown and described in the specification of my Letters Patent No. 550,046, dated November 10, 1895.

The objects of the improvements of my present invention are, first, to dispense with the transverse well or passage and to pass the well arranged in the vertical plane more or less inclined through the bottom of the ship, so that the steering-propeller when lowcrcd down projects out of the hull and directly into the water under the keel or stern, respectively, and, second, to provide means whereby the casing containing the steering apparatus may also be rotated in the said well on its longitudinal axis in order to adjust the position of the steering-propeller so as to act in any desired direction to the keel-line of the ship.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, Figure l is a vertical section through the forcbody or bow of a ship provided with my improved steering apparatus. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of Fig. 1 on about the line 1 2. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2, showing in an enlarged scale the crank-shaft and its bearings. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line it 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar viewlike Fig. 4., showing in a somewhat smaller scale a modification. V

In accordance with my invention the fore part or bow of the ship is provided with a downward-extending well a, which, according to the particular form or outline of the ship, may be more or less inclined. In this well a there is arranged a tube-shaped casing b, capable of being lifted or lowered as well Serial No, 601,350. (No model.)

as revolved around its longitudinal axis in the said well by any suitable means. For lifting and lowering the casing b I have shown a tackle t, Fig. 1, while for rotating the same I prefer to use the driving-gear shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The latter consists of an annular rack or gear 0, provided with upper and lower flanges or rims c c and attached to the head or top of the casing Z). This annular rack meshes with a toothed Whe e1 d, mounted on a driving spindle or shaft 6 and capable to slide along on this driving-shaft in unison with the up or down motion of the casing 19 as the said wheel dis carried along by the flanges c c of the gear 0 in one or the other direction. By rotating the shaft 6 with the aid of its crank-handle e or any other suitable means the driving-gear d 0 will be operated and the casing I) turned around its axis into the position required.

From the bottom plate I) of the movable casing b are projecting two hollow arms or brackets b the lower ends of which being closed by means of suitable caps f, securely fixed to the tubular arms b and adapted to receive the shaft of the steering-propeller. For this reason the crank-shaft s, carrying the steering-propeller S, is journaled in the sides of the caps f, the steeringpropellcr S thus being held between the arms 19 and beneath the bottom plate I), and may be lifted and lowered or turned, respectively, with the casing Z). The propeller-shaft 8 may be driven by any suitable motive-power engine arranged in the interior or on the top of the said propeller-casing b, so as to be moved up and down and turned around with the latter, or the engine may be placed aside of the casing 11 and the motion of the engine being transmit-ted to the propeller-shaft by any known means. In the drawings I have shown, as an example, a motive-power engine or motor m placed in the interior of the casing b, the motion being transmitted to the cranks s of the crank-shaft s by means of connecting-rods g.

In place of the commonly-used cranks and connecting-rods for rotating the propellershaft, in some cases a suitable bevel-gearing h h, Fig. 5, may be provided, so as to transmit through the medium of the wheel h the rotary motion of an upright-extending shaft 11 to a bevel-wheel h at one end of the'propeller-shaft s. This bevel-gearing h it may be received within one of the hollow caps f forming the bearings for the propeller-shaft, while the other cap f, as well as its arm 17 in this case need not be hollow, but may be replaced by an ordinary axle-bearing f, extening from the bottom plate I) of the easm %or using the steering apparatus the casing b is lowered in the well so that the steeringpropeller projects out of the well or the hull of the ship directly into the water under the keel or stern. It is evident that in this position the steering-propeller when set in motion will act upon the water in the direction of its shaft. As on turning the casing in the Well a the position of the propeller-shaft in relation to the keel-line of the ship may be adjusted, the propeller acts in a more or less acute angle to the vertical longitudinal plane of the ship, as it may be required.

In order to prevent the revolnble casing b in winter-time from freezing fast in the well a, a suitable heating-coil 7r may be arranged around the latter, as shown by dot-ted lines in Fig. 2.

When not in use, the said improved auxiliary steering apparatus or the casing 19, respectively,may be lifted or hoisted up into the well a and the bottom opening or lower entrance of the latter shut up or closed by a suitable slide-plate, door, or the like, operated in a Well-known manner.

Having fully described my invention, What I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a vessel provided with a Well opening into the water on a line with the keel and at a point distant from the driving-propeller, of a casing closed at bottom and adapted to be displaced in said well in the plane of and about its longitudinal axis, a steering-propeller, its shaft revolnble in bearings secured to the bottom of said casing, a motor and suitable connections for transmitting power from said motor to the propeller-shaft and revolving the same, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a vessel provided with a well having a forward inclination and opening into the water at a point of the keel near the bow, of a casing closed at bottom and adapted to be displaced in said well in the plane of and about its longitudinal axis, bearings secured to the bottom of the casing, a steering-propeller, its shaft revolnble in said bearings, a motor, and suitable connections for transmitting power to and revolving the propeller-shaft, for the purpose set forth. 3. The combination in a vessel provided with a well opening into the water, of a casing closed at bottom and adapted to be displaced in said well in the plane of and about its longitudinal axis, a steering-propellerrevolubly supported below said casing, a motor carried by the latter, and suitable connections between a driving element of the motor and the propeller-shaft, for the purpose set forth. 4, The combination with a vessel provided with a well opening into the water, of a casing closed at bottom and adapted to be displaced in said well in the plane of and about its longitudinal axis, tubular legs projecting from the bottom of the casing and leading into the same, two-part housings secured to said tubular legs, a crank-shaft having its bearings in said housings, a steering-propeller secured to the crank-shaft between the housings and a suitable motor and transmitting appliances for revolving said shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 5. The combination with a vessel provided with a well opening into the water, a casing closed at bottom and adapted to be dis-placed in said well in the plane of and about its longitudinal axis, housings, tubular connections extending from the bottom of and leading into the casing and connecting said housings thereto, a crank-shaft revolnble in hearings in said housings, a steering-propeller secured to the crank-shaft between the housings, a motor contained in the casing, and suitable connecting-rods connecting the driving element of the motor with the cranks of the crank-shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention l have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 18th day of July, 1896.

JOACHIM JOHANNSEN.

itnesses:

EMIL AnoLrn JOIIANNES JOACHIM BERTRAM, JOHANNES JULIUS 'lnnonon Kmncnn. 

